Degradation of diesel-originated pollutants in wetlands by Scirpus triqueter and microorganisms.

The wetland ecological environment near Huangpu-Yangtze River Estuary (HYRE) is deteriorating more and more seriously due to oil spills. In this paper, the simulation experiment of degradation was conducted to restore the diesel pollution in soils where the decontaminating potential of indigenous hydrocarbon-degrading microorganisms (HDMs) was evaluated with pot experiments and the co-activation between HDMs and native plant, Scirpus triqueter L.(STL), was investigated. The experimental results indicated that HDMs isolated from HYRE wetland had a degradation effect on diesel pollutants. Within 60 days, the removal ratio of diesel compared with initial amount could be up to 57.27 ± 8.18% in the HDMs inoculated soils at different concentrations of diesel. It was also found that the growth of Scirpus triqueter could enhance the degradation and remediation of diesel pollutants by increasing the populations of microorganisms. A community of STL and HDMs showed a remarkable capability of degrading hydrocarbon components in diesels. Under the combined effects of HDMs and STL (STL-Ms), the removal ratio of diesel pollutants could reach 67.42 ± 8.92%. For example, at 15,000 mg kg(-1) diesel concentration the removal ratios in the HDMs and STL-Ms soils were 67.41% and 72.62%, respectively. Moreover, the saturated hydrocarbons were more readily degraded than the aromatic hydrocarbons in treated soils showing a good degradation effect on the range of C(16)-C(24)n-alkanes, especially C(19). Positive correlations between microbial populations and diesel removal ratios were observed during the experiment. Microbial populations were found significantly higher in the HDMs soils and rhizosphere soils than in the control ones. The results confirmed that the HDMs and plant improved the biodegradation ability for diesel pollutants and they could be reasonably matched to cure and restore the ecological environment of oil-contaminated wetlands.